


Into The Light

by TauntingTyrant



Series: A Tale of Two [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Post-Series, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-22 21:12:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10705224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TauntingTyrant/pseuds/TauntingTyrant
Summary: Jin continues to miss 'Li', unaware of who he really is. One day, the Firelord requests her company.





	Into The Light

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so quick notes, it's my own AU where after Zuko's coronation, he goes on a search for Jin immediately. Jin is unaware of WHO the new firelord is because it all just happened and news takes time to travel. As far as she knows, Li stopped writing her a little bit ago and she just hopes he's alright. Zuko's reason that he stopped writing was that he felt too guilty lying about his identity to her. ZukoMai isn't established in this AU.

Through the old curtains of her room, the sunlight began to shine through, the warm rays tinting the room lighter. It was right about time for her to wake up for work today. Luckily for her? She had the day off today, a rare occurrence in itself. Work was the life of refugees and she was one of the many who the notion of relaxing much often escaped. She didn’t complain though. After all, it was all about the little things for Jin. She took what she got and ran with it in the chaotic world they lived in now. 

Hope was a rarity in these times. She’d lost track of how long ago the Fire Nation took Ba Sing Se and everyone in it. Some days were better than others, or as good as they could get with raucous Fire Nation soldiers and their demands to be served on a priority basis. It was all so scary to see. Dark days took hold of their city, their paragon of hope. Longing seized her heart in many ways as she went about her days. Longing for the light, for hope, for another letter. 

She never forgot Li, and she hoped that he hadn’t forgotten her either. After all, he had promised to write her after they met again. Jin didn’t want to lose contact with him altogether, it seemed like he was on his way to another place. She missed him. They’d briefly exchanged letters until one day her letter was marked with a disappointing ‘return to sender’. Was he alright? The young woman worried about him, his last letters to her held an evident darkness, like someone who was carrying a heavy burden. One day she hoped she would know what he meant. After all, she genuinely liked Li and he seemed to like her back.

Jin closed her eyes, letting the sounds of morning take her to a more comfortable frame of mind.

 

“Jin.” She jolted in surprise, opening her eyes to find her mother in the doorway. The look on her face frightened the girl. Her father was there too, standing right behind her mother with a solemn expression. Before she could ask, her father answered.

 

“The Firelord wishes to see you.” 

 

Cold dread flooded her veins. It was every nightmare in one. She had so many questions, why her? What had she done to warrant the wrath of their new ruler? But time was of the essence. You couldn’t just keep royalty waiting. 

Without a word, she stood with a faint tremble upon her lips, house clothes and all. She knew she couldn’t run from this, not like her family had run from the Fire Nation before. They would always catch up. This was for her family, to ensure their safety. It was yet another duty to be fulfilled. Jin made her way out, her parents parting to let her through as she walked before trailing at a measurable distance behind her. For all they knew, it’d be the last time they see their daughter, one had to assume the worst.

Opening the front door, she stepped into the light. It was a beautiful day, and surely as she was informed; There was the royal carriage. The Firelord was nowhere to be seen, hidden in comfort as the guards surrounded his carriage.    
  


She didn’t pay mind to the details of the carriage, she did  **_not_ ** .    
Not the color **(Like blood)**   
Not the sharp accents **(Like weapons, sharpened for war)**   
Not what it signified **(Death, destruction, hatred).**   
  


As practiced among all under this new rule.    
She knelt before the carriage, and awaited her fate as he was informed of her arrival.   
  


Little did she know…

 

_ ~Interlude~ _

How could the world ever trust the Fire Nation? A century of endless bloodshed and conquest had finally come to an end. The children of a war-torn generation had brought it all to it’s close, securing peace for the children of the future. Ozai’s reign was one of fear, one that commanded respect. Those who didn’t kneel would have their limbs torched, forcing them there one way or another. Everyone was a means to an end. Suffering was part of the great war-machine that was the Fire Nation. 

The Earth Kingdom fell on that horrid day, their leader hardly kind. The bare minimum was offered in mercies, nothing more and nothing less. The life of lower ring families hardly altered, as they already worked life and limb to keep themselves together in this new place. Their menial labor at the family-run shop was enough to keep the beast sated. News hadn’t reached them often, they lived small lives.

 

A familiar voice rang out, breaking the silence like glass.

 

“Jin, you’re the one person I’ll never expect to bow to me.”

 

As Jin raised her head to the source of that voice, the new Firelord stepped from his carriage and into the sun. The former Prince Zuko, in the flesh.

 

“Li?” It all clicked for her. Flashbacks assaulted her in vivid technicolor. The common name, the uncontrollable formalities, his cryptic manner. The new Firelord and ‘Li’ were one in the same.   
  
Why, she didn’t even know his name. But she trusted him, she trusted him to be kind. She saw no malice like the others of the solemn nation, she didn’t see anger and hatred and destruction. Jin knew, she knew that he would be their change, she could feel it. There was hope where it wasn’t before, and all it took was one look at his expression, gentle and placating… Forlorn, as if he missed her as she missed him.

Without hesitation, she stood and flung herself at the newly appointed royal, wrapping her arms around his form before feeling the tug of rough hands upon the back of her collar, yanking her from the male long before she could take in his presence in her life once more.   
  


"Wait-- No! Stop! Stop!" Yanking incessantly, she tore from the hand which had dared tear the girl away from her long awaited.   
Too long, it was too long since she'd seen him! She couldn't let him get away again... Not again, please, not again!  
  
"Get your hands off me!" Then it had all happened so fast. A commanding voice barked out with little room for argument to let her go. The soldier’s put Jin down as gently as possible, not wanting to disobey orders more than necessary. 

Before Jin could even begin to question the situation, she was pulled into a warm embrace by none other than Zuko himself.

 

“I… I missed you.” He admits, quiet as she remembered him to be. It was a comfort that he hadn’t lost that awkward pause in his speech patterns, it made him seem all the more human to her. There was a lot she wanted to know, questions she wanted to ask. Where would she even begin? This was all too unreal for her, like a dream come true. The girl was an old romantic, secretly dreaming of a day when she would get her own happy ending.

 

And this was exactly what it was shaping up to be.

 

“I owe you an explanation.” Zuko says sheepishly, taking her hand. Jin offers a smile in return, her reply fond.

 

“Yeah, I suppose you do.”   
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'll probably write some follow-ups in the future to this verse, hope you enjoyed!


End file.
